Charles Austin

Charles Austin, 1973

English rose 

For me it all began with this rose. When I saw her bloom in 1990 I thought what an incredible beautiful flower! Is it a rose? Can't be? It looked so very different from the roses I saw in gardens. I put my nose in the flower and a very strong fruity fragrance made my experience complete. I bought the rose and a few weeks later I bought the book from David Austin: English roses. My rose journey began till this day...

Charles Austin had the extremely good rose Aloha as a parent and Aloha is a daughter of New Dawn so this rose had incredible ancestry.

David brought her on the market in 1973 and yes that's my birth year 😊

It was an incredible succes. Charles Austin is a very strong upright grower with sturdy almost Hybrid Tea strong canes. They end in clusters of buds. From these orange buds exquisite apricot to light pink old fashioned flowers appear with a strong fruity fragrance. This rose won't flop or flip over so the branches are strong enough to support the blooms. Immediately after the first flush you prune her back with 1/3. Yes you prune so not only deadheading. It will ensure a second beautiful flush. My first rose ever is still growing in my parents garden and she got the evident name of "Adam", my first rose. Three more Charles Austin roses joined Adam and I wished you could see them today. They are 100 cm wide and 130 cm high, each! Giant shrubs and they bloom constantly in summer. It's my parents favorite rose because she withstand drought, rain, cold, heat etc...

Being such a good rose David Austin used Charles Austin (named after his father) in creating many other DA roses. Children of Charles Austin are: Abraham Darby, Golden Celebration, Crown princess margareta, Jubilee Celebration, Jude the obscure, Ambridge rose, A shropshire lad etc...

Lens Roses and Warren Millington have used Charles Austin many many times as a parent rose for their creations.

David Austin senior retired this rose not because she was bad but because she had a bit too much Hybrid Tea growth. But for most people this was just one of her best features as the blooms don't flip over.

Charles Austin today is sold all over the world and has very high ratings at helpmefind.

She got a yellow sport which is called Yellow Charles Austin and this is also a very beautiful rose with sparkly yellow blooms.

No blackspot issues but she can get mildew in very dry and wind still positions but never serious.

To me the best Austin of all time